Visa free Fiji draws Chinese buyers

Transcript

Changes to visa requirements has Chinese buyers turning their gaze on private islands in Fiji.

Since March this year, Chinese and Fiji nationals have been able to visit the other country on holiday for up to 30 days without a visa.

The president of Vladi Private Islands,Farhad Vladi, told Daniela Maoate-Cox the change is encouraging buyers in China to snap up Pacific land as a holiday destination.

FARHAD VLADI: Because Fiji has waived the visa requirements and they are now contemplating direct flights from Beijing to Fiji, that is one of the major reasons why the Chinese people are very interested and we've done a few sales already but the interest if you're speaking generally about the Pacific, then interest also focuses on French Polynesia.

DANIELA MAOATE-COX: What are the reasons that people would buy an island, why not just travel to an island on holiday?

FV: Yeah Chinese people, yeah that's one reason, but the Chinese people have another situation at home. As you know they have by far more than one billion people and they live very densely, there's quite high pollution and other situations resulting out of civilisation so they can escape from that and be, so to say, in paradise.

DM-C: What's the going rate for an island?

FV: It depends very much what's on the island but you can say in general, a leasehold island, between five hundred and two million US dollars and a freehold island is like a million to three or four million for a very beautiful island, accessible, a good title, not incumbent, where you have nice vegetation, and so on. Then of course as soon as you have buildings or even resorts on the island than the price might be very different.

DM-C: And in terms of availability of islands to purchase, are there many out there and do they meet the demand?

FV: There are many islands, put it this way, there are enough islands in Fiji to satisfy demand.

DM-C: You were saying the changes with the visa requirements in Fiji has had an impact and piqued the interest in China to purchase land.

FV: Yes, it's like the visa requirement which has lifted also in the Bahamas and suddenly we see the move of many people interested in Bahama's land, so that is the pre-requisite for Chinese people to go and consider buying land.

DM-C: Is it a noticeable increase?

FV: Yes definitely, the president of China has been to Fiji and has had meetings with the prime minister of Fiji, they've had conferences and started a friendship situation and people, the Chinese people are very much, I wouldn't say at home, but are very much welcome.

DM-C: Is there any way to measure the increase in the interest between before the changes and after? Is there a percentage?

FV: Oh yes, I would say, if we had statistically, my feeling would be ten times more interest since the visa requirement and direct flights were agreed upon, definitely.